A finely carved Kiwai Island Ceremonial Staff, Western Province; Papua New Guinea.

A hardwood stick carved with geometric shapes at the top and bottom. Fine old patina.

Similar examples to this rare staff were collected by Landtman on Kiwai and were described as ceremonial staves. The staff imitates in a highly stylized form, the basalt-headed stone clubs of complex shape that were collected in large numbers around the Trans-Fly region in the early 20th century. This would be a representation of those clubs for ceremonial purposes. Landtman illustrates a similar staff collected prior to 1913 (Landtman, 1935).

Field collected on Kiwai Island, 1980. The staff measures 36.75 inches tall. There is no display stand.